1995 Eastwood grad, Velton Locklear III, killed in action in Iraq: 2006

Trish Long, El Paso Times
·6 min read
Oct. , 2006: Denise Locklear sits with sons Nathan, 5, and Velton IV, as she holds the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and casket flag given to her during her husband's funeral at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
Oct. , 2006: Denise Locklear sits with sons Nathan, 5, and Velton IV, as she holds the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and casket flag given to her during her husband's funeral at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

Among the many war dead that will be honored this Memorial Day is Sgt. Velton Locklear III. The 29 year-old, of the 25th Infantry, 3rd Brigade 2-27th Infantry Battalion, was killed Sept. 23, 2006.

His son, Velton Locklear IV, is a recipient of a scholarship from The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund which "honors Americans in our Armed Forces who have sacrificed life or limb defending our country by providing educational scholarships for their children."

Locklear IV wrote a letter about what it was like growing up without his father that can be read in the Opinion section of this edition of the El Paso Times.

Following is our coverage of Locklear III, his death and funeral.

Sept. 2, 2006, El Paso Times, by Daniel Borunda

El Paso soldier killed while on patrol in Iraq

A 1995 Eastwood High School graduate who followed his father's footsteps into the U.S. Army was killed Saturday when a bomb exploded while he was on patrol in Iraq, his family said Monday.

Sgt. Velton Locklear III was a husband, the father of two boys and a dedicated soldier who last month started his second tour of duty in Iraq, relatives said.

Locklear, 29, of the 25th Infantry, 3rd Brigade 2-27th Infantry Battalion, was killed when an improvised explosive device destroyed the vehicle in which he was riding while on patrol near the city of Kirkuk, his family said.

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'He wanted to be an infantry soldier'

"He wanted to be an infantry soldier. He was interested in being up front where all the action is," his father, retired Sgt. Maj. Velton Locklear Jr., said via telephone from Laredo.

Locklear was born in El Paso while his dad was stationed at Fort Bliss. He was the only son of three children. In high school, he was a standout wide receiver, wearing No. 4 for the Eastwood Troopers.

"I've had so many kids, but a few stick out that you really remember. He was one of those. Everybody liked him," said Wade Ardoin, Eastwood's head football coach who was the school's offensive coordinator in 1995.

After a semester in college, Locklear joined the Army, his father said.

"I was extremely proud he joined the military. I encouraged him to do that and sometimes I feel guilty for doing that. (But) he definitely enjoyed the military life," the elder Locklear, a Junior ROTC instructor in Laredo, said.

'He loved the Army'

The senior Locklear recalled his son's passion for the Army displayed in a telephone call one night.

"He called me from the range and he said, 'Dad, I want you to hear something.' He put the phone up in the air. They were firing semi-automatic weapons in the range. He loved the Army. He ate it up. The camaraderie. All that Hoo-ah stuff."

His father said Locklear didn't talk much about his first tour in Iraq from April 2004 to February 2005 but did say that even though Iraq was a dangerous place he felt it was making progress when the elections took place.

Sgt. Velton Locklear III, 29, of the 25th Infantry, 3rd Brigade 2-27th Infantry Battalion, was killed Sept. 23, 2006, when an improvised explosive device destroyed the vehicle in which he was riding while on patrol near the city of Kirkuk.
Sgt. Velton Locklear III, 29, of the 25th Infantry, 3rd Brigade 2-27th Infantry Battalion, was killed Sept. 23, 2006, when an improvised explosive device destroyed the vehicle in which he was riding while on patrol near the city of Kirkuk.

'A heart of gold'

Cliff Williams of El Paso described his cousin Velton as an athlete with "a heart of gold. He was a very kind person, very humble. He was a brave soldier who loved what he did."

The funeral will take place in El Paso, where much of the family resides.

Locklear's wife, Denise, and sons, 5-year-old Nathan and 7-year-old Velton IV, are coming into town from Hawaii, where Locklear was stationed.

"Velton, he is a living legacy," his father said. "He served his country courageously and we are extremely proud of him, and his family can be proud of him. He paid the ultimate price for his family and his country, and we will always love him for that."

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Oct. 4, 2006, El Paso Times, by Chris Roberts

Sergeant who died in Iraq is buried at Bliss

A bugler at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery -- standing amid uniform rows of knee-high marble headstones bleached by the glaring sun Wednesday afternoon -- played taps, a ceremonial goodbye to another son, husband and father who gave his life fighting in Iraq.

A group of family, friends and well-wishers gathered to pay their last respects to Army Sgt. Velton Locklear III, who was killed Sept. 23 by a roadside bomb near Kirkuk in northern Iraq.

"Today (Wednesday) I feel a little more at ease," retired Sgt. Maj. Velton Locklear Jr., the soldier's father, said after the ceremony.

"It started when my son arrived ... home. I feel that we're somewhat at peace now because we know he's gone to a better place. We're going to miss him."

The younger Locklear was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, for meritorious service in the global war on terror. "His desire to bring peace and stability to foreign nations was in keeping with the highest traditions of military service," according to the medal citation.

He also was awarded the Purple Heart by Fort Bliss commander Maj. Gen. Robert Lennox.

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Nov. 12, 2007: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, left, presented a Gold Medal of Remembrance to Nathan Locklear, 6, on Sunday at Fort Bliss. Locklear, whose father, Sgt. Velton Locklear III, was killed Sept. 23, 2006, in Iraq was among children from three families honored with the Gold Medals that are presented to the children of soldiers killed in action.

'There is a shadow'

Fort Bliss garrison chaplain Maj. Glen McFarland read the 23rd Psalm during the service. "There is a shadow," McFarland told the family, "and if there is a shadow, there must be light beyond the darkness."

Members of the Eagle Claw Warrior Society also performed a ceremonial blessing over the casket. The fallen soldier was from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, his father said.

"We're here to honor a fallen comrade," said Jesus Padilla Sr., of the Ysleta del Sur tribe. "We were asked to be here to do a native ceremony so the grandfathers can protect him on his journey."

J.D. Cotham, a Lubbock native who now lives in El Paso, met the family while serving with the elder Locklear at Fort Bliss.

"I remember him (the father) as being one of the best soldiers I ever knew," Cotham said before the service.

"I met the boy when he was young. He was an athletic kid, a happy kid."

Ignacio Medina was the command sergeant major for the younger Locklear's unit during the Vietnam War.

"As respect for a fellow soldier, I came out," Medina said, standing among the graves under a shade tree. "Maybe someday we'll meet again, in this place."

Trish Long ma be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: 1995 Eastwood grad, Velton Locklear III, killed in action in Iraq